Knitting machine



1 L. ROBACZYNSKI 2,067,733

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l (40/54/105 foanczmaswz ATTORNE Jan. 12, 1937. Nsm 2,067,733

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |llllllllilll'. ////ZZ I 440/5440: 05,4CZVA/JK/ 1N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 12, 1937 'WUNITED rs 3 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly it pertains to new and usefulimprovements in the carriage of such machines. r h

knitting machinesof the type known as links and links, a carriage is reciprocated over the needle beds, and through the medium of cam platesor locks, asthey are sometimes called, jacks, are operated to in turn operate needles to 1'0 periormthe kn'tting Operation.

.;..;The..iacks and needles are reciprocated in grooves or channels formed in needle beds, which needle beds are so constructed that at their adjacent edges where the actual knitting operation is 1'5; accomplished, there is a plurality of upstanding teeth known as comb teeth.

- alluring the i tin peration and er a ticularly at the moment whenthe needles are casting off to form a stitch, the needle upon which the stitch is being formed has its free end retracted in the. needle bed to a position to the rear of the comb teeth of the needle bed and thelooser the fabric and longer the stitch, the greater the extentto which the needle is re- 25 tracted relatively to the said comb teeth.

The cam plate systems of such machines includes. stitchrcam which operates the needles through the medium of the needle jacks to retract the needles ,to their casting off position, and

30 this stitch cam is adjustable to determine the length of stitch as desired.

- Where relatively long stitches are formed, the needles are retracted to a greater extent than is the case when relatively short stitches are formed,

35 and in the retraction of the needle to a point sufficient to form the long stitches the yarn is pulled around the comb teeth of the needle bed under considerable strain, which ofttimes results in rupture of the yarn."

It is the object of the present invention to improve the construction and mode of operation of knitting machines and to provide such machines with a cam or lock mechanism which will effect a betterknitting operation than prior machines.

. A feature of the invention resides in a new and novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the strain incident to the pulling of the yarn around the comb teeth in the formation of a so-called long or loose stitch, is relieved.

A-further feature of the invention resides in a novel construction of stitch cam whereby the relief'of the strain is accomplished upon opposite sidesof the needle actually forming the stitch. 1 I 55 1 Still a further feature of the invention resides in a novel construction of bridge cam whereby the accomplishment of the objects desired may be obtained. p

, Other features of the invention relate to certain novel and improved constructions and ar- .5 rangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view partly in 1.- horizontal section of a portion of a knitting machine carriage, illustrating in plan the several cam plates, the same being the front section of the carriage,

Figure 2" is a fragmentary view partly in plan and partly in section illustrating the improved construction of bridge lock, the view being partly broken away,

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, but illustrating the generally employed or conventional form of bridge. cam,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional View taken H substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, and;

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 'l'l of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference character and particularly to Figure 1, the numeral 10 designates one of the needle beds of a knitting machine, in the present instance the needle bed illustrated being the front needle bed of a links and links knitting machine.

The needle bed is formed with grooves or channels 'H by the provision of ribs l2, and each rib terminates at its inner end in an upstanding lug or projection 13, commonly known in the art as a comb tooth.

The needles are herein illustrated as of the double latch type, are slidably mounted in the channels ii, and are operated therein by sinkers or jacks l3 which have butts l4 which travel in a guideway or cam slot formed on the under face-of the carriage by a plurality of cam blocks or plates which will now be described.

The reference numeral 15 designates the 55 bridge cam which comprises a body portion having two projecting leg portions l6 and I1. At each end of the bridge block there is a cam plate l8 which is known as the stitch cam plate and beyond the stitch cam plates there are two cam plates 19 and 20 known as blind plates. These several plates cooperate with a center cam plate 2! and guide cam plates 22 to provide the channel 28 through which the butts of the sinkers or jacks travel properly to manipulate the needles to form the knitting stitches. The stitch cam plates are slidably mounted between their adjacent cam plates in order that they may be adjusted in the ordinary manner to form stitches of various sizes.

In the present instance the needle bed is assumed to be traveling in the direction of the arrow X in Figure'l, and when traveling in this direction, the stitch cam I8 upon the right hand side of Figure 1 is the cam plate, which by operation of the sinkers or jacks and needles produces the stitches to form the fabric. Each stitch cam plate l8 has a high spot 23, and it is when the butt M of the sinker or jack passes around this point of the cam plate l8 that the needle is withdrawn to its fullest extent as in dicated at Y in Figure 1 to cast off the previously formed stitch and pull the new length of yarn through the previously formed stitch to form the new stitch.

By examination of Figure 1 it will be obvious that, as a needle is withdrawn to its fullest extent as at Y in said figure, the yarn which is looped around the two next adjacent needles on the left will be drawn around their respective comb teeth to the left of said needles and will be subjected to strain by this action.

'The present invention, as one of its features, provides means for relieving this strain, and this means will now be described. The stitch cam I8 is provided with a cut out portion 30 in that edge adjacent the leg of the bridge cam, which cut out portion has an angularly disposed rear wall which merges into the high point 23 of the cam. This construction is clearly illustrated in said Figure 1. By this construction it will be apparent that as the butts of the sinkers or jacks engage the cam face 50 of the stitch cam l8, they will ride into the cut out portion 30, which will permit of them taking a' slight movement transversely of the needle bed in Figure 1 in order that the needles immediately adjacent the needle which is forming the stitch, and immediately to the left thereof may, by this slight movement, relieve the strain of the yarn passing around the comb teeth immediately adjacent the needle upon which the stitch is actually being formed. The stitch plate 18 also has an angular face 49 which face 49 is disposed at a less acute angle than the efi'ective face of the cam into which it merges thereby permitting of a slight transverse movement of the needles after the butts of the sinkers or jacks have passed the high point of the cam, thus relieving the strain upon the right hand side of the needle actually forming the stitch. Inasmuch as the movement of the carriage is continuous across the machine and the needles are successively operated, the strain will be relieved as the stitch is formed upon each needle.

In Figures 4 to 7,-I have illustrated the various positions which each needle assumes during a form of cam system for ill new loop 64 has been formed from the yarn 62.

In this position it will be noted that the new loop 64 is considerably longer than the loop 6| illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, and it is at this time that the yarn is subjected to the strain above mentioned by reason of its being drawn around the comb tooth l3. In Figure 7 the stitch has been formed and the needle moves back to its position of rest, in which position it remains until the next successive operation thereof to'form another stitch. r

It is a further feature of the invention to provide a new and improved form of bridge cam plate, and this new form is illustrated in Figure I 2. Reference will first be had to Figure 3in which bridge plate are each provided with an extension 65 which has a feather edge 66 merging into the adjacent edge of the stitch cam -l8.- This is the common or generally employed construction of bridge cam. I have found that the bridge cam plate wears at the point 68 due to continued engagement at this point of the sinker or jack butts and that such wear produces a shoulder which, even though ever so slight, interferes with free travel of the butts of the sinkers or. jacks through the cam slot 28, and often results in total destruction of the jacks. r I

In Figure 2 I have illustrated the improved form of bridge cam plate which I have devised to.

In actual experience, however,

obviate the above disadvantage. In said figure-it or the bridge cam plate which construction provides an area 15 through which the sinker or jack butts may pass, the course which theytake being illustrated by the arrows Z in said Figure 2. Constant contact of the sinker or jack butts with the bluntly rounded ends of the legs of the bridge cam will not produce a shOuIder againstWIiich the butts of the sinkers or jackscan catch, and consequently they will move freely throughthe cam slot 28 without damage to themselves.

This last feature is particularly advantageous when the stitch cam plate is adjusted considerably forward of the position inwhich it is shown in Figure 1, in which position, the high point 23 in the old construction illustrated in Figure 3, is positioned relatively close to the point 60, which causes the sinkers or jacks to jam unless this particular wall formed by the juncture of the bridge cam plate with the stitch cam plate is perfectly smooth and uninterrupted. v,

, From the foregoing it will beapparent that the presentinvention provides a new and improved knitting machinesjin wh c the ya n, durin the.

not subjected to strain by pulling the same around the comb teeth of the needle bed, and in which the likelihood of jamming of the sinkers or jacks is entirely obviated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a cam system for knitting machine carriages, a bridge cam comprising a main body portion and leg portions extending therefrom, said leg portions having straight angularly disposed outer edges, and a stitch cam cooperating with each leg portion of the bridge cam and having sliding engagement with the straight outer edge thereof, the inner edge and end of each leg of the brige cam being curved with the curve terminating abruptly at the straight edge of its respective leg of the bridge cam at a point forward of the rearmost portion of the leg of the bridge cam.

2. In a cam system for knitting machine carriages, a bridge cam, leg portions extending from said bridge cam, a stitch cam cooperating with each of the legs of the stitch cam and adjustable within certain limitations relative to its respective leg of the bridge cam, and a rounded portion forming the end of each of the legs of the bridge cam, said rounded portions extending to a point in advance of the rearmost portion of the leg of the bridge cam and terminating abruptly where they meet their respective stitch cam.

3. In a cam system for knitting machine carriages, a bridge cam comprising a main body portion, leg portions extending from said bridge cam, a stitch cam cooperating with each of the legs of the stitch cam and having sliding engagement therewith whereby each stitch cam is adjustable relatively to its respective leg of the bridge cam, and a curved edge on the end of each of the leg portions of the bridge cam, the curve of the curved portion extending to a point in advance of the rearmost portion of the bridge cam and being disposed at an abrupt angle to the adjacent edge of its respective stitch cam.

LADISLAUS ROBACZYNSKI. 

